Siemens finalizes Invensys Rail acquisition, names Paljug to top post

Siemens Rail Automation, which is part of the company’s Mobility and Logistics Division-Infrastructure & Cities Sector, has completed its acquisition of Invensys Rail, “expanding the company’s footprint in the global rail automation market and strengthening its technology offerings, including Positive Train Control,” Siemens said.

Invensys Rail President and CEO John Paljug (pictured) will become head of the Siemens U.S. Rail Automation business unit, headquartered in New York. More than 500 Invensys employees will be joining Siemens Rail Automation as a result of the acquisition, including 300 in Louisville, Ky., and 210 in Marion, Ky.

Siemens has also signed an agreement to acquire the railway yard retarder business of Sona BLW Präzisionsschmiede, Remscheid, Germany, and has completed the acquisition of Sky Eye Transportation Systems GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany, “improving the company’s range of IT solutions for transportation planning and scheduling tasks.”

“Rail infrastructure is essential to the movement of people and goods in the U.S.,” said Roland Busch, CEO of the Siemens Infrastructure & Cities Sector and member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG. “Combining two of the strongest organizations in the market allows us to strengthen the core business of our Infrastructure & Cities Sector and best serve the country’s rail needs.”

The Siemens Infrastructure & Cities Sector, with approximately 90,000 employees, “focuses on sustainable technologies for metropolitan areas and their infrastructures.” Its portfolio includes products, systems, and solutions for intelligent traffic management, rail-bound transportation, smart grids, energy efficient buildings, and safety and security. The Sector comprises five divisions: Building Technologies, Low and Medium Voltage, Mobility and Logistics, Rail Systems, and Smart Grid. The Mobility and Logistics Division “provides solutions to customers to optimize passenger and freight transport, bundling all Siemens business related to management of traffic, transport and logistics. This includes railway automation, infrastructure logistics, intelligent traffic and transport systems, and technologies for developing the infrastructure for electric mobility.”